The world has lost one of its few remaining Sumatran rhinos.
The International Rhino Foundation has sadly announced today that “Torgamba”, an elderly Sumatran rhino, died on Saturday at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia, following a lengthy illness.
Torgamba was estimated to be 32 years old.
Torgamba had been chronically ill for several years. During the last months of his life, the veterinarians and team at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary worked tirelessly to make Torgamba as comfortable as possible.
In 1985, Torgamba was rescued from a precarious existence in the wild to become part of an international program to study and breed Sumatran rhinos in captivity, in hopes of reinforcing the dwindling wild population.
Torgamba lived at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in England until 1998, when he was returned to Indonesia to live at the newly-opened Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park.
The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, constructed by the International Rhino Foundation in partnership with the Indonesian government, allows the rhinos to reside in a 250-acre forest area where they can experience a natural habitat while still receiving state-of-the-art veterinary care and good nutrition.
Currently, four Sumatran rhinos reside at the Sanctuary: Captive-born Andalas, and three females – Bina, Rosa, and Ratu.
There are only around 200 Sumatran rhinos left on Earth. To learn more about how you can help Sumatran rhinos, check out the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary page on the International Rhino Foundation website.
Source & image: International Rhino Foundation
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